The Yellow Rose
by SongbirdSarah
Summary: This is the first part of 'The Rose Trilogy'. Some of you might have read 'The White Rose', and will know about Hailey already. This is about her and Seto in the first few years that they know and learn about each other.
1. Chapter 1: Egyptian Princess

**The Yellow Rose**

**Chapter 1:** Egyptian Princess

A Yu-Gi-Oh! Fanfiction

**By: **Mazakai

**Started: **November 23, 2005

**Completed: **May 5, 2007

**Folks: **This is the first part to the trilogy that I'm writing. Hailey Ishtar is the character that I made up for myself, so I, Mazakai am Hailey Ishtar and Seto Kaiba is mine!

**Disclaimer:** Okay I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I wish I did, but I don't so I have to live with it. I really don't know what's really going to happen in this story, so don't get mad at me. Remember, this is just for fun.

For the three years she had lived in Domino City, Japan, Hailey Ishtar had set her sights on Joey Wheeler. He wasn't the most popular boy at Domino High School, but he was nice to her during her first week at school, mostly because he was the class representative's best friend, or at least one of them. She had heard of him before during Duelist Kingdom, but other then that she didn't know much about him. Then when she had attended the beginning ceremonies of Battle City she had met up with Joey and the other guys. And that's where our story begins.

Hailey was walking down the street when she spotted her new found friends standing off to the side, talking and laughing animatedly. She hurried over to them when she saw that Joey was standing with them.

"Hailey, good to see that you're up and ready for the start of the Battle City Tournament," Joey called out when he saw her running over to the group.

She was wearing a black mini skirt, lavender t-shirt, black leather jacket, black knee high boots, black studded belt, silver earrings (like Marik's in B.C.), and her now ever present duel disc. And of course Joey noticed all of these things, though what he would remember the most from that day was the way Hailey's long, straight black hair streamed out behind her as she ran towards them, and her bright cerulean blue eyes gleaming from the light of the street lamps at night.

It was then that he realized that he was very much attracted to Hailey. Well, who couldn't be attracted to Hailey Ishtar? She was practically every male's fantasy girl. Tall and skinny, nice chest, soft long black hair, and a perfect face. Oh and she had that natural tan hue to her skin that never went away during the winter, and got deeper during the summer, or at least that's what Joey Wheeler thought.

"I don't think I've been more ready for a start of a tournament, but this one is a lot more important, well for me at least," Hailey replied to Joey's comment.

"Hailey, why's that?" Tea asked.

"Well, my brother is possibly going to be competing in the tournament, and I haven't seen him for a long time," Hailey, made up on the spot so the guy's wouldn't suspect anything out of the ordinary about how Hailey addressed her brother.

"Who's your brother? How come he doesn't go to DHS like the rest of us?" Duke asked.

"Well he doesn't exactly live in Japan like my sister and I do. I think that he moves around the world because of his job." Hailey answered again hesitantly. "Oh and his name is Marik. Marik Ishtar," she added; quickly trying to cover up the tension in her voice.

"Well I'm sure he's not doing something bad. I mean it would be impossible for him to be bad with sisters like Hailey and Ishizu." Tea added in Hailey's defense. Tea was the only one that knew really what Hailey's twin brother did for a living. And why the Ishtar's were really in Japan for three years.

The truth was that Hailey was one of the last remaining members of the Egyptian royal family. Going back to when the pharaohs existed, she was a descendant of the ancient Egyptian king, Pharaoh Seth (aka "Seto" and in the TV episodes, or so I've read, after Yami dies, Seto becomes pharaoh). Her family had been to Japan before this trip, but this time Hailey was there to stay. Marik was the first born son, so he would someday take the throne, yet it was only a title, sometimes. Ishizu would forever remain the crown princess under him as would Hailey.

Though the Ishtar sisters weren't in Japan just for a change of scenery, they where there to finally fulfill the prophecy that was set five thousand years ago. But one of the main characters in the prophecy was missing, well unaccounted for at the moment, but he would soon be there, it was _**his **_tournament after all.

As soon as Hailey thought that thought, the wind picked up and a loud noise filled the night air. All of the teenagers looked up at where the noise was coming from and noticed a helicopter hovering above the square. A lone figure leaned out of the copters open door, his trench coat and brown hair flying about him.

It was Seto Kaiba.

Suddenly all of the television screens in the square were adorned with a life feed of what was going on in the sky. Kaiba's head was enlarged on the screen and project all through out the city.

"Welcome fellow duelist to the Battle City Tournament! Before the tournament commences I'll fill you I on how this tournament is going to work. All of you have been given special duel disk that will project your duels with out the need of gaudy dueling arenas." Kaiba said to the crowd with a small smirk crossing his lips.

Hailey look questionably over at Joey at that comment and he just shook his head no, meaning he would tell her later. She turned back around to face Kaiba as he continued his speech in the air.

"To proceed to the finals of the tournament you must collect six locator cards. You all have been given one at the start of the tournament. When you win your duels, your opponent must give you their locator cards and their strongest card. Once you gather all six of your locator cards, place them in your duel disk and the location of the finals will be revealed to you. The tournament commences at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, so duelist prepare yourselves." Kaiba finished before flying off in his copter, laughing maliciously as he flew off into the night.

As she listened to Kaiba speak, an odd sensation settled over Hailey. It was as if he was putting some sort of spell on her with his voice, though she knew that wasn't even possible, at least not at that moment.

She was shocked out of her trance when Yugi tapped her on the shoulder. "Hailey, the rest of us are going to go get some pizza, do you want to go?"

"Sure! Let me call Ishizu and tell her," Hailey replied and pulled out her blue flip phone. She quickly called the older Ishtar and told her where she was going.

With Ishizu's approval, the whole gang went to their favorite hang-out and celebrated the opening of the tournament they all were participating in.

The guys played almost every arcade game in the building competing for the last slice a pizza and little things like that. Tea, Mai, and Hailey sat in the booth talking about their latest shopping excursion and the new tournament.

They watched the guys stuff their faces with pizza and Joey nearly choked, trying to stuff five slices into his mouth in his mouth. It was both disgusting to watch and hilarious at the same time.

Hailey and Tea got up around eight and jumped into a heated competition of DDR. Both girls loved dancing and collected a small crowd through their performance.

Lights flashed and their bodies glistened with sweat, both having discarded their jackets earlier in the night. Hailey swung her hips in beat with the music and sang with the lyrics.

Joey watched in fascination. Both of his friends were up on the raised DDR stage, dancing like some of the girls from one of the clubs he had been to. He watched Hailey's shirt ride up with a force of her arm movement, showing off her firm tan stomach, and felt his mouth go dry; but something was wrong. It was almost like something else was pulling for his attention.

He turned to his right and caught sight of Mai, the blonde bombshell of the group, talking to Duke. And before his very eyes she started flirting with the ebony haired teen. A fire of jealousy sprung up surprisingly within his stomach. He never felt like this when Hailey got attention from other guys. So why with Mai?

He tried to turn away from the scene in front of him and watch Hailey again, but something wouldn't let him. A jealous fire burned behind his green eyes; which is what Hailey saw when she looked down from the stage to the object of her teenage affections.

A pain seared through her young heart. She saw exactly what he was looking at, rather who he was looking at. Mai Valentine. And she was flirting with Duke and Joey looked like he would like nothing better than to walk right over to Duke and wring his neck. It was obvious who he like more out of the two girls.

After all this time she thought that he liked her and her feelings were welcomed, but obviously he had been joking around. Mai held his attention and his heart even if he didn't realize it yet.

Tears came unwanted to Hailey's blue eyes. Quickly, as if rearranging her hair, she wiped her eyes and continued with the dance.

As soon as the number was over she told Tea she was tired and was going to leave money on the table and go home. Tea said she would tell the rest of the guys that she was leaving and to rest up before the tournament.

Hailey ran past Joey to their booth and collected her jacket, purse, and Duel Disc from her spot and left five dollars on the table to help pay the bill. Slipping into her jacket on the way to the door, she barely made it outside before a few tears left her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

She ran down the street and into a local park. The path led to the pond at the center of the park. Soon Hailey found herself on the bridge the spanned across the center of the pond. Finally, in the dead quiet park, she let out a stifled sob and the tears cascaded down her cheeks.

Why did this bother her so much? It wasn't like she and Joey were engaged to be married. It was just a stupid high school crush. Still the sobs escaped her throat and the salty tears escaped her closed eyes.

"Miss, are you alright?" a voice asked, making the young Irish women jump from her place on the bridge.

There standing in front of her was the one man she wouldn't have expected to see so soon. Seto Kaiba. Tall, dark, handsome, blue eyed teenage tycoon Seto Kaiba.

"Oh, nothing a few gallons of chocolate ice cream won't fix, unless they've developed a cure for a broken teenage crush," Hailey answered back, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her leather jacket.

Seto let out a small chuckle. "I'm sorry, it might not seem funny to you, but I haven't heard a remark like that in a long time from someone other than myself."

Hailey smiled weakly back at him. In the light of the full moon through the trees of the park, Seto was starting to look like a good cure for a broken heart. Maybe it was his silky looking shaggy brown hair. Or his impossibly deep midnight blue eyes. Or his well toned body from what she could see.

He approached her and pulled a silk handkerchief from inside his wool jacket. "Here, you don't want to ruin your jacket."

She took the offered silk square and wiped her eyes. He was different from what she had heard. Supposedly he was the ruthless, quiet, sarcastic, callous, business man and high school junior. She knew from that very moment that those were only rumor and she had just proven them false. Maybe this was who he really was on the inside.

Seto walked up the rest of the way and stood beside Hailey and they both looked down at the water below them. The scent of his cologne floated through the air to her nose and she inhaled deeply. '_Instinct by David Beckham._' She thought, recognizing the scent. It was one of her favorite men's cologne.

"I like it here when there's no one else to bother you. Some things are better at night." He said, breaking the silence. "Everything's more peaceful I think."

Hailey nodded and he smiled looking at her through her reflection from the water.

"You're different from what I heard. Supposedly you're this hard-core callous, cold, ruthless, eighteen year old prodigy CEO of a multi-billon dollar corporation. But that's not how I see it now. Those were all lies. And I'm usually a good judge of character." Hailey said, watching his eyes change in the light of the moon reflected over the lake.

"I usually don't let my guard down in front of people I really don't know. I somehow just knew I could trust you. By the way, I'm Seto Kaiba."

"Hailey Ishtar. Pleased to meet you Seto. Or do you prefer for people you just met to call you Mr. Kaiba?" Hailey asked sarcastically.

"Seto's just fine."

"That was a pretty impressive opening for your tournament earlier this evening."

"You were there?" Seto asked, this time looking at her rather than her reflection in the dark water.

"Yeah, I'm competing actually. Maybe I'll see you around and we can duel. I'm the top ranked duelist back in Egypt." Hailey replied, looking up and into his eyes.

They both felt the spark of something when their eyes connected. Hailey was the first to break the contact, looking up and leaning her back against the railing of the bridge.

"Don't you wish that sometimes that life wasn't so confusing? I mean, sometimes I wish I could go back to when I was like five and live forever like that. So carefree and innocent." Hailey sighed, realizing she was getting philosophical on some poor guy she barely knew.

"You have to learn to live with the things that the world throws you and learn form your experiences and trust God to guide you in your choices." Seto answered. "Though it would be nice sometimes to go back to that time when all you were worried about was whether you were going to make a new friend the next day at kindergarten."

"Do you want to be friends? I mean I'd like to get to know you better. You seem like an interesting person. It'd be like kindergarten all over again." Hailey asked, sticking her hand out to him in an offering.

"Sure, why not? Like kindergarten. Hi, my name's Seto, you want to be friends?" he asked in a younger sounding voice, smiling goofily.

Hailey smiled and pumped his arm up and down and rewarded him with a smile just a goofy as his own. "Best friends! I'm Hawey!" She even slurred her 'r' like she used to back when she was five.

"Would you like to walk around the park with me _Hawey_?" Seto asked imitating her slur on her name.

"Okay, but you'll have to walk me home afterwards. I'm not supposed to walk alone after nine." He nodded and offered her his elbow.

Smiling and talking, the two walked around the large park learning more about their new friend. They both had some things in common like they both liked to sing. He was a tenor where as she was a versatile alto. They also both liked to dance and watch old and new musicals. He admitted to belting out his favorite Broadway tunes in the shower and having the dream to one day fly his own personal jet; which he was learning to do.

She told him how her family had finally consented when she was twelve to make her bathroom soundproof so she wouldn't bother the rest of the family when she showered since sometimes she wasn't always on-key, but that rarely happened nowadays. She wanted to fly as well, but hadn't had time to attend flight school yet.

He told her of the club he went to sometimes and told her that he would have to take her sometime. He also told her about his little brother Mokuba, who basically could get anything he wanted from his older brother with his infamous puppy dog eyes; and of course it always worked on the older Kaiba because Mokuba was the most important thing in Seto's life since he was the only family he had left.

Hailey shared that she herself only had her siblings as well, both her parents having died when she was younger. Though she was the baby of the family, being a whole thirty minutes younger than her twin brother.

Finally, two hours later, the two teens where back on the bridge where they had first met. Then they were at the front of the park and Seto hailed a horse and carriage, knowing now that Hailey had always wanted to ride on one from what she had told him earlier.

She looked up at him questioningly, wondering if he really was doing this for her only after knowing her for about two and a half hours. He only nodded and held out his hand to help her up into the white carriage.

Smiling, she took his hand and gracefully climbed into the carriage, minding her short skirt. Seto climbed in after her and sat beside her and told the driver the name of her posh neighborhood. The driver smiled and tipped his hat to the young CEO, urging the two black horses onward.

Seto leaned back into the seat and draped his right arm behind Hailey's back. They continued to talk as the carriage ambled through the streets of Tokyo.

Hailey squealed with excitement as she watched the city roll by her and turned to Seto, smiling brightly. "Thank you so much for doing this for me. This is exactly what I needed to feel better. It was really nice of you. Is there anything I can do in repayment for you?"

"Just smile and I'll be happy. Though if you don't mind sticking around as my friend I'll count that as repayment." Seto replied with a smirk.

Hailey bobbed her head up and down and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Oh, by the way, I was wondering about something earlier; during your speech, you mentioned something about gaudy dueling arenas. What was that all about?"

"Back a few years ago there was a tournament called Duelist Kingdom that I competed in and instead of using Duel discs that I developed, the coordinator Maximillion Pegasus used his own huge dueling arenas. Don't get me wrong they're good for the technology that was around, but not so much reasonable for a tournament that's as randomly conducted as this one that I'm hosting. I can't just install dueling arenas where ever someone challenges someone else to a duel. Duel Disc is much better suited for a job like this."

"I see. That makes more since. And these projectors that you've developed are much lighter than having to cart around a foldout table for regular duels. Holographic duels are much more intense than regular tabletop duels." Hailey said in agreement. She knew a far amount about the kind of technology Seto's company developed and worked with. Someday she hoped after college to work with that sort of technology, a fact that Seto now knew.

"You know after we graduate I could offer you an internship at Kaiba Corp. if you'd still like to peruse that dream of engineering. We've got different sorts of scholarships and offers for gifted students that we monitor during their college education." Seto said, looking into Hailey's bright blue eyes.

The prospect of already having an internship set up before she even left high school was to tempting for her to even consider reconsidering. Quickly she nodded her head in excitement. "I could give you my transcript when we get to my house. I think you'll be impressed. My older sister always pushes me to do my very best which is pretty darn good if I do say so myself. My grades and completed course work are as good as an above average college senior."

"If they're as good as you say they are then I think something could be arranged by the end of the week. Of course the internship wouldn't start until after the tournament unless you're willing to give up that time for dueling to come in and work." Seto asked, his truth in his words plain in his deep blue eyes.

"For a job at Kaiba Corp. I'd willing give up my spot in the tournament if I needed to. I've always wanted to work at your company. I think I decided to leave Egypt once I was old enough and out of college and move here to Japan and see if I could get a job. But we moved before I even finished high school and unknowingly my sister brought me one step closer to fulfilling my goal." Hailey explained, her enthusiasm radiating off her face.

"It's settled then. Welcome to the team Hailey Ishtar; as CEO of Kaiba Corporation I'm proud to have you working in my company." Seto replied, shaking her hand with a sort of finality.

Suddenly the carriage came to a halt and the two teens found themselves in front of Hailey's neighborhood. Seto climbed out first and reached a hand out for Hailey to help her down. He pulled out his wallet and handed some cash to the driver and the driver tipped his hat at the young man and drove his team down the street.

"Well, you'll have to lead me to your house; but I think that's still considered walking you home." Seto said offering his arm to her for the second time that night.

Smiling, which she found herself doing more often around her new friend and now boss, Hailey slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and led them down the street into the wooded neighborhood.

They walked down ten streets and turned down a lane at the end of the main road. Moonlight shone through the leafy tree branches. Hailey looked up at Seto and forever implanted the picture of him from that night into her mind. All thoughts of Joey were almost gone from her mind; and in their place were thoughts of this new friend of hers'. Seto Kaiba.

Little did she know, but he was thinking the same thoughts. Hailey was an interesting young woman that was for sure. She was outgoing, understanding, intelligent, competitive, beautiful, and many other things. And he couldn't deny that she was attractive, because that would be an utter lie. Once she was ready to open her heart up to someone in a more than friends matter, he hoped he would be at the front of her line of suitors. That he promised to himself.

Soon a large manor came into view. It was much like his own mansion, yet on a smaller scale. It was obvious that her social and finical status was near his own.

"There it is my home sweet manor. Not even my friends know that I live here. Well all of them except you Seto. They all think that I have a flat in Tokyo, which I do, that I share with my sister when she's home. They would make to big of a deal if they knew that I was practically as rich as you." Hailey explained to Seto, walking him around the large circular driveway.

"Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee or tea or something? My sister won't mind." Hailey asked, placing a hand on the large door handle.

"If you don't mind. That's very generous of you." Seto answered and moved to open the door for her; always a gentleman.

Hailey walked through the door and Seto followed her through the entrance hall. An older man in a suit came from one of the side hallways and bowed to Hailey.

"Miss Hailey, you've arrived. Your sister told me to tell you when you got back that she had to catch an emergency flight to Sapporo on business and that she wouldn't be home until the end of the week," the older man said, taking Hailey's coat and turned to Seto. "Young sir would you like me to take your coat for you."

Seto nodded and handed the man his wool jacket. Hailey was looking out a window and Seto saw the pain in her eyes. Evidently the news about her sister bothered her deeply.

"Charles, did she say what kind of business that she had to deal with?" Hailey asked, shaking her head and looking strait at the butler.

"She said something about another snag in the prophecy that she had to stop before it all started again. I'm guessing you know what she meant by that." Charles said, staring at his young mistress before she nodded an affirmative. "Well, ring for me if you need me. Goodnight Miss Hailey."

Charles walked back down the hallway he had come from and Hailey sighed. She turned back to Seto and smiled weakly.

"How about that drink?"

The two teens sat in the private den, warm mugs of coffee in their hands, before a warm fire. They had been sitting there for about an hour talking about random stuff, getting to know each other better; just like it had been at the park.

It was amazing how many things the two had in common and how they could talk for a good amount of time about any and every topic that came up.

Seto told her more about his company and the kind of work they did. It was clear to him how much Hailey wanted the internship he had mentioned earlier. She even pulled out a pad of paper from a nearby table and took notes about what he was talking about. She asked questioned and he answered them as well as he could off the top of his head; which was pretty thorough.

A clock somewhere from within the manor rang twelve times, startling the two. Hailey gasped and Seto promptly looked down at his watch to check and see if the clock was right. It was.

"Good heavens is it really that late?" Hailey exclaimed looking down at her own watch. "I didn't even hear the clock at eleven."

"I should be going. Mokuba will be worried that I'm not home by now or that I didn't call him. Do you have a phone I could use?" Seto asked standing up and helping Hailey up as well.

She nodded and led him back into the kitchen. Grabbing her cell phone off the counter where she had left it earlier when they got back, she handed it to Seto and he flipped it open and called his little brother.

Much to Hailey's surprise the younger Kaiba answered the phone and Seto explained why he wasn't home, but that he would be in a few minutes. Seconds later he said good-bye and hung up.

"Let me get your coat and I'll drive you to your house." Hailey offered and Seto began to protest, but she held up her hand and silenced him. "Please, you've done so much for me tonight, it's the least that I can do."

Seto nodded slowly and Hailey smiled, taking a pair of keys off the wall and walked back to the main hall. Seto waited in the entrance hall while she disappeared down the hall Charles had both came and gone from. A minute later she returned with her own jacket and his wool coat.

He followed her back through the kitchen and into a garage. Cars lined each wall, all of them in their own little stall like horses. Most of them where silver, black, or navy blue; but there was a sleek red Mercedes convertible stuck out in the middle of the garage.

And of course that was the car that Hailey walked up to and unlocked the driver side door. Seto followed her and stared in obvious awe of the impressive car. He wouldn't have expected her to have a car like this. She seemed more like a black or silver type. But hey, he had a red Mustang in his collection as well, so he couldn't point fingers.

He slid onto the black leather seat of the passenger side and admired the inside of the car. It had obviously been a present since every single enhancement and setting that could be put into a single car was in this little red convertible.

"Do you mind if I drive with the top down? It's really a nice night tonight and this kind of weather won't last long." She asked, her hand poised over the button that would lower the top.

Seto shook his head 'no' and strapped himself into the seat. Smiling, Hailey placed the key in the ignition and the car purred to life.

Flawlessly she pulled the car out of the stall and opened the door to the garage. Once it was fully opened she pulled out and into the dark night. The wind blew her long black hair every which way and Seto's merely brushed against his forehead and cheeks. They pulled up to a stop light alone and Hailey pulled a hair tie from around her wrist and pulled her hair up messily into a pony tail to keep it out of her eyes as she drove.

Seto watched her concentrate on the road and took in her appearance. Her long ebony brown hair pulled up into a wild pony tail still looked cute. Clear blue eyes sparkled in the night and her cheeks were pink from the cool night air. Long elegant fingers held the steering wheel and finely manicured nails shone in the light from street lamps that lined the road. Never before had he been so captivated by someone that wasn't his little brother. And never before had someone wanted to actually be his friend, even after hearing about what some people thought of him. Seto was shocked more by that fact than anything that Hailey had told him that night. She truly wanted to be his friend. And he really wanted to be hers as well.

Sighing to himself, Seto sunk down into his seat and rested his head on the back of his cushioned seat; eyes closed in contempt and a light smile gracing his lips.

Hailey glanced at him in her rearview mirror and smiled to herself. It was nice to be around Seto. She enjoyed his company and found him extremely attractive. But who wouldn't. He probably had hundreds of girls wanting to be with him everyday. And yet she couldn't help but feel good about the fact that he was there with her that night and that he willingly wanted to be friends with her.

An old tune came unbidden to her mind as she drove through the streets of Tokyo. Seto had given her direction to his place before they left her neighborhood, so she knew where she was going. Humming she remembered the lyrics to the old song she had learned as a young girl back in Egypt.

_**I heard a whisper inside my soul**_

_**Like some familiar melody**_

_**A hidden chapter from a story left untold**_

_**I gotta feeling, I could believe in**_

_**There is an angel in my heart**_

_**Feels like I'm guided by a candle in the dark**_

_**It's taken all this time**_

_**To finally find out what I could never see**_

_**You were there for me**_

_**Now there is no doubt that there will always be**_

_**An angle in my heart**_

_**You were the friend; you were the one I could confide in**_

_**You gave me strength that I could never find**_

_**Deep emotions that I've always been denying**_

_**I believe in, it's so close now, it's you that**_

_**I'm feeling**_

_**There is an angel in my heart**_

_**Feels like I'm guided by a candle in the dark**_

_**It's taken all this time**_

_**To finally find out what I could never see**_

_**You were there for me**_

_**Now there is no doubt that there will always be**_

_**An angle in my heart**_

_**Finally found what I been searching for**_

_**(All my life)**_

_**It was right before my eyes**_

_**Oh you were my angel**_

_**I know you'll always be there**_

_**You are my one and only angel**_

_**To finally find what I could never see**_

_**(You were there for me)**_

_**Now there is no doubt that there will always be**_

_**An angel in my heart**_

_**There is an angel in my heart**_

_**Feels like I'm guided by a candle in the dark**_

_**It's taken all this time**_

_**To finally find out what I could never see**_

_**You were there for me**_

_**Now there is no doubt that there will always be**_

_**An angle in my heart**_

Before her parents had died, they had always taught Hailey the importance of having God in her life and now Hailey believed that more than ever. That her parents were watching out for her in the form of her new friend Seto.

During the short time that she needed someone to lean on, he had just shown up out of nowhere and comforted her when she needed it most. Maybe she was over-exaggerating slightly, but she really did feel that Seto was a positive thing in her life to help her through the hardships she would most certainly go through these next few months.

Since the night was silent besides the purr of her Mercedes, Hailey noticed the change in Seto's breathing. Instead of a faster paced breathe that most people had awake, Seto's breathing had become deeper and slower. He had fallen asleep. To bad they couldn't keep driving forever and stay like this.

To soon, Hailey was pulling her car into a long tree lined lane leading up to the Kaiba Mansion. She stopped right in front of the double doors and leaned over to Seto. Gently she shook his shoulder and whispered to him that they had arrived. His eyes slowly opened, blinking a few times and looking around for something familiar.

"We're here. It's time to wake up." Hailey said gently. Seto sat up in his seat and undid his seat belt and climbed out of the car. Hailey did the same and met him on the other side of the car.

"I had a good time tonight. Thank you for having me over to your house, it was very kind of you," Seto said, extending his hand to her.

"No problem. Besides you did your fare share of good deeds for me tonight as well, so I guess for now we're even." Hailey replied, amusement clear in her voice. She took his hand and was surprised when he pulled her forward into his embrace.

Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back. She could hear the steady beat of his heart against her cheek and smelled the rich scent of his cologne. He placed a brotherly kiss on the top of her head and squeezed her once before letting her go.

Hailey stepped back and watched him walk away towards the house.

"Goodnight _Hawey_, I really did have a good time tonight." Seto said quietly into the night, raising a hand in goodbye.

"Goodnight Seto, I had a good time tonight as well," Hailey whispered back and then walked back to her car and drove home.

It really had been a good night.

Three weeks later, the finals of the tournament had arrived and the finalists were no surprise to the public. Seto of course made it sense he was the national champion, then Hailey got in because of her title form Egypt, Yugi was the reigning world champ, Hailey's illusive brother got in by shear intimidation of the other duelist he faced (not to mention the fact that when Ishizu went to foil his plans she failed so he was back and stronger than ever), Joey got in by the skin of his teeth, and finally Mai got in with her talent and finesse.

Certainly with the amount of talent, or lack thereof, the finals would be interesting to watch.

The night before the finals were to start, Hailey sat behind her desk in her large library/study with a heavily bound book and feather quill before her.

The large book was actually her diary; a present that her father had given her when she turned twelve. Back then she didn't find the need for a fancy diary like the one her father had given here, but now as a young woman almost, she found it comforting to write down her thoughts in the secret confines of the numerous pages.

Over the last few weeks she and Seto had talked over the phone a few times and seen each other in the streets of Tokyo, but they hadn't been able to meet up like they did that night at the park. They still hadn't dueled together yet either.

Silent she wrote down everything that she had been thinking about, most of it having to do with Seto. She couldn't get him out of her head; not that she wanted to though. So much had happened in the last month and she and her sister were facing the stress of trying to stop her twin brother. He kept trying to foil everything their family tried to protect in their time in ruling Egypt. Why was he so dissatisfied with what they had? He was the freaking king of Egypt for gosh sakes.

Oh well, she was ranting again and nothing good ever came from ranting. She and Seto would spend more time together after the tournament was over and hopefully her brother would calm down as well.

Hailey laid her quill down and wiped the tip clean of any extra ink and screwed the lid back on the ink well. She felt better though than she had before writing everything out in her diary. Gently closing the large book, she stood and placed it back on the mahogany book case that lined one of the walls in her study; so many of her favorite books lined the wall along with her numerous journals and sketch books. Silently she walked down the row and touched every one of the spines of the thick hardback covers, immersed in her own private world of thought.

"HAILEY!!!!"

Ishizu threw the double doors of her sisters study open and made the younger girl jump and spin around in alarm.

"What is it Izz, is something the matter?" Hailey asked approaching her older sister with concern Ishizu's face was flushed and her hair look tousled.

"There will be if you don't tell me why on earth there is an amazingly handsome young man down in the front hall asking for you with a bouquet of white roses." Ishizu said exasperatedly, flailing her arms around for emphasis.

"What do you mean? I didn't have any dates planned for tonight nor does anyone know that white roses are my favorite flower…except, wait dose this guy have sort of ruffled looking brown hair, deep blue eyes, a pale complexion, and is quite possibly _**the **_most gorgeous guy you've ever laid your eyes on?" Hailey asked, wondering if it really was who she thought it was.

By then Ishizu was bobbing her head up and down in agreement. Hailey squealed and gave her sister a hug, before racing out of the study and to her room with Ishizu right on her heels.

"It's…"

**And that's where I'm going to end it folks. Just in case you don't know, this is the first part of my trilogy called **_**'The Rose Trilogy**_**'. **_**The White Rose **_**is the third part actually and I have no idea why I did that one first, but things just worked out that way. So yeah, this is the start of the saga and I fully intend to get it done within the end of the year, heaven help me. I start my junior year of high school in August and I'm almost done with my first year of Show Choir Competition Season. Hope you like this, and I'm sorry I didn't go into detail with the tournament, but I hate writing out duel sequences and find them quite boring if authors don't know how to write them. And I will say that I am one of those writers. LoL. Well you know the drill, please read and review and check out my other stories and my pride and joy **_**The White Rose**_**. Bye.**

**Mazakai**


	2. Chapter 2: A Surprise

**The Yellow Rose**

**Chapter 2:** A Surprise

A Yu-Gi-Oh! Fanfiction

**By: **Mazakai

**Started: **March 3, 2007

**Completed: **June 6, 2007

**Folks: **This is the first part to the trilogy that I'm writing. Hailey Ishtar is the character that I made up for myself, so I, Mazakai am Hailey Ishtar and Seto Kaiba is mine!

**Disclaimer:** Okay I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I wish I did, but I don't so I have to live with it. I really don't know what's really going to happen in this story, so don't get mad at me. Remember, this is just for fun.

Recap from chapter one: 

We met the bright and bubbly Hailey Ishtar, twin sister of Marik Ishtar at the start of the Battle City tournament. She had moved from Egypt three years ago and connected with the gang. She also fell in like with the one and only Joey Wheeler. And needless to say, our young mister Wheeler was smitten with the young exotic beauty from the desert. Or so he thought. The motley crew of friends view the opening ceremonies of Seto Kaiba's new tournament and Hailey saw the man who was supposed to fulfill a prophecy of old dangling from a helicopter. After Seto's announcements, the gang went out for pizza and Hailey got her heart broken. Joey subconsciously had been leading Hailey on as both found out that Joey had deeper feelings for Mai, leaving Hailey out in the cold with a semi-crushed heart. Running from the arcade, Hailey finds solace in the dark Domino Park. Where she runs into the man who will someday change her life. Seto Kaiba. Seto for some reason unknown lets this crying beautiful girl into his life, becoming friends with her at first meeting. Both looking for some sort of comfort for their aching hearts. Letting Seto walk her around the park, Hailey and Seto find out more about each other and by the end of the night, Hailey's got an internship at Kaiba Corp. and Seto has a new best friend. Their budding relationship is put slightly on hold by the tournament, but still they keep at it. Seto soon finds himself think of nothing but the Egyptian girl he had met in the park and decides to do something about it. Little does he know, but Hailey is in the same dilemma. Ishizu, Hailey's older sister comes screaming through the house three weeks later, nearly hysterical:

"HAILEY!!!!"

Ishizu threw the double doors of her sisters study open and made the younger girl jump and spin around in alarm.

"What is it Izz, is something the matter?" Hailey asked approaching her older sister with concern Ishizu's face was flushed and her hair look tousled.

"There will be if you don't tell me why on earth there is an amazingly handsome young man down in the front hall asking for you with a bouquet of white roses." Ishizu said exasperatedly, flailing her arms around for emphasis.

"What do you mean? I didn't have any dates planned for tonight nor does anyone know that white roses are my favorite flower…except, wait dose this guy have sort of ruffled looking brown hair, deep navy eyes, a pale complexion, and is quite possibly _**the **_most gorgeous guy you've ever laid your eyes on?" Sarah asked, wondering if it really was who she thought it was.

By then Ishizu was bobbing her head up and down in agreement. Hailey squealed and gave her sister a hug, before racing out of the study and to her room with Jillian right on her heels.

"It's…"

And now on with the show.

"It's Seto. I told you about him when you got back three weeks ago from your trip." Hailey said excitedly, tearing off her pajama pants and sliding into a pair of jeans and grabbing a tan cotton jacket out of her closet. She slipped into a pair of black sandals with spiky heels and faced Ishizu with a worried expression on her face. "How do I look?"

"Fine, perfectly composed; come on, we don't want to keep that young man waiting downstairs forever."

At that Hailey shrieked and ran out of her room, surprisingly fast even in her heels. Ishizu followed her sister's path to the front door, even taking a few of the secret passageways that led through out the manor.

They reached the ground floor in record time and sure enough, Seto was standing in the entrance hall as patient as could be, looking at an old antique vase on one of the many tables around the hall. Clearing her throat, Hailey made her presence known and waltzed down the stairs to the marble floor.

Seto looked up and watched as she floated down the marble stairs in the large hall towards him. She looked just like he thought she would. In all honesty he had been thinking about surprising her and showing up one evening unannounced, but the tournament hadn't allowed that at all in the last few weeks. Only a couple of short phone conversations and a slight sighting around the city on random days. He had finally gotten a break and summoned enough courage to approach her house. So here he was, standing in the doorway of his friend's mansion with a bouquet of white rose in his hands.

"Seto, I'm surprised to see you! How are you?" Hailey asked, reaching where he was standing and giving him a friendly hug.

"I'm fine. I finally got a night off and I decided that I'd come and see how you were doing." Seto answered returning the hug and then pulled away, handing her the flowers. "Here, these are for you. You told me that white roses were your favorites."

"Thank you." Hailey said, taking the flowers and sniffing them lightly. Ishizu walked up and took the flowers from her sister and whispered that she would take them and put them in a vase. Hailey nodded and turned her attention back to Seto.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out for a late dinner with me." Seto asked looking her in the eye and smiling his own little smile.

"Sure, that'd be great." Hailey said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and took a deep breath and yelling out, "Jill, I'm going out!"

A muffled 'okay' rang through the halls and Hailey smiled brilliantly. Seto held out his arm and Hailey slid her hand into the crook of his elbow.

He led her to the door and Charles popped out of no where and held the door open for the couple. Seto nodded to the older man and Hailey smiled at her trusted mentor as they walked by.

The crisp night air met them with its gentle fingertips. Seto slid his arm out from her grasped and opened the passenger door to his black Porsche for her. He closed the door behind her and ran around to his side of the car and started the sleek car up.

They pulled out onto the drive that led to the manor and drove through the rest of the rich neighborhood. Seto began to hum as they turned onto the main road leading into London.

"Do you like Italian food?" he asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye, there was this new, upper class Italian restaurant that had just opened downtown and he had been wanting to try it out.

"Like it, I love it. European food is my favorite." Hailey said excitedly.

"There's a new place that just opened in Tokyo that I've heard has pretty good pasta and other dishes. How does that sound for a late dinner?" Seto asked, stopping at a red light and looking directly at Hailey.

"Great. That sounds great."

Seto went back to humming his song from earlier. Hailey listened and imagined what it would sound like if he was singing. What she thought to be the chorus of the song seemed very familiar. She listened and tried to place it. Then it clicked. '_Luck be a Lady_'. She could imagine what he sounded like when he sung this song. It was perfect for him.

By the time they reached the restaurant, Hailey had that song stuck in her head. Seto had hummed it the entire way there. He had the car parked by valet and held his hand out to her and they entered the restaurant.

They were seated in a private area by an indoor garden surrounded by pillars and statues and the like. The restaurant lights had been dimmed almost to the point of darkness and a candle lit center piece cast a warm golden glow over both Hailey and Seto's faces. Seto waited to sit down until Hailey was seated comfortably with her ankles crossed comfortably under her chair.

A waiter came to their table a short time later and they ordered their drinks; Seto got green tea and Hailey ordered a 'Shirley Temple', which was really Seven Up with cherry flavoring.

"What do you usually get," Seto asked, looking at Hailey over his menu. Hailey smiled at him, placing her menu down on the table.

"Usually, I start with a salad with Italian dressing. For the main entrée I get chicken fettuccini alfredo, and then a side of breadsticks." Hailey said, counting off what she usually got on her fingers. "What do you get most of the time?"

Seto laughed slightly and watched his friend with gentle eyes. "Usually I get a salad and then I get a dish of spaghetti with meat sauce and a side of breadsticks as well."

Hailey nodded in approval at his choice of food. The waiter returned and asked if they were ready to order. Both recited the meals they had described and the waiter went off to the kitchen to place their orders.

As they waited for their food in a comfortable silence, Seto began to hum _Luck Be a Lady _again. Hailey watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye as she sipped her drink. Was he trying to hint at something or what? Should she start humming _Take My Breath Away _in response? She liked Seto, she liked him a lot. If he asked her out she wouldn't say no; most definitely wouldn't say no.

She was about to start humming when the waiter returned with their food, breaking the moment momentarily. Seto looked up and thanked the man as he walked away.

Hailey smiled at him and toasted him with her glass; a gesture he returned with an equally warm smile. Picking up her fork, Hailey began to eat and talk with Seto.

He talked about his job as acting CEO of his stepfather's company and with managing the tournament with the help of his little brother Mokuba. Hailey listened intently, asking questions here and there, learning all she could about her soon to be boss and his company.

Seto watched Hailey as he talked. She seemed to be intently listening to him unlike some of the people he worked with. A light shone in her eyes that he had seen the first night he met her in the park. He had told Mokuba all about the impressive young lady who was sitting with him at the moment; and surprisingly enough, Mokuba wanted to meet her. Mokuba seemed to like Hailey even without meeting her formally or at all for that manner, which shocked Seto slightly.

He was going to do it. He was going to ask this beautiful young woman to be his girlfriend. He just had to get the courage up to do so. That shouldn't be too hard; he was after all Seto Kaiba, the youngest business tycoon in two centuries. But this was an entirely different playing field. This would be his debut performance, great.

"Seto, are you alright? You've been staring at me for the last five minutes. Do I have something on my face?" Hailey asked, waving her chopsticks in front of his face, shaking him out of his trance.

"No, sorry, you have nothing on your face. Everything's fine. Though, Hailey, there is something that I'd like to ask you about; just hear me out first before you reply though." Seto said, taking a gulp of tea and willing his mind to go forward with his brilliant plan…which he was making up on the spot. He took a deep breath and took the plunge.

"I was wondering, that is, once the tournament is finished, if you would like to go out with me. Now, I know that it's sudden and everything and you probably think I'm an idiot for even thinking that you'd consider going out with me steadily, but I really do like you. I noticed that there was something different about you from the moment I met you on the bridge in the park, because I never open up to someone like I did with you after only knowing you for a grand total of five seconds. And…"

He never got the chance to finish because at that precise moment, Hailey leaned across the table and placed a delicate finger on his lips. He fell silent as she moved even closer.

"Of course I'll go out with you once the tournament's over. All you had to do was ask." Hailey whispered before moving that final inch.

Her lips met with his in a tender kiss. Seto looked at her in shock before closing his eyes and kissing her back in the gentle way she had started things. Their lips moved together in a slow, loving glide a few moments more before she pulled away lightly.

Seto reached out for her hand and she gladly entwined their fingers together. She smiled up at him, eyes cast with an adoring look. He returned her smile, something he found himself doing more and more around Hailey.

They finished dinner in a comfortable silence, just enjoying being around each other. When they were done and waiter came and took their plates away and left the receipt on the table. Both Seto and Hailey reached for the slip of paper and their hands touched. Seto shook his head and pried the paper from Hailey's hand.

"I never let anyone pay for a dinner that I asked them to." He said, placing a silver credit card on the table. Hailey just shook her head in fake annoyance and finished off her drink.

The waiter came back, took Seto's card and ran off to scan it. He came back with the card and another little slip of paper, which he waited for as Seto signed his name on the dotted line.

Seto placed his card back into his wallet and stood before Hailey, holding out his hand to help her up. She grasped onto his outstretched hand and pulled herself up to her full height.

Still holding on to her small warm hand in his own, Seto led Hailey back out to his car and into the cool spring night.

Seto dropped Hailey back off at her manor about an hour later; of course that was after a moonlit stroll through the park. They both chuckled as a curtain fluttered in one of the front rooms, signaling that someone had been waiting for them to return.

Seto turned his head and smiled at Hailey before opening his door and running around to the passenger side to help Hailey out. He offered her his hand and then pulled her into his warm embrace once she was standing.

"I had a good time tonight. Thank you for going to dinner with me." Seto whispered into her hair. Hailey snuggled into his chest and hugged him tighter.

"You're welcome. I had a good time tonight as well. Though, you know this is the first tournament that I actually can't wait to be done with. And I assure you that's never happened before." She whispered back, inhaling the same smell of cologne from the first night she has met Seto.

"Heh, I know what you mean." Seto said with a chuckle. "Is your sister going to be waiting to bombard you with questions once you go inside?"

"Probably, knowing Ishizu; but I think you're worth the trouble."

"Thanks. As much as I like to be with you, I promised Mokuba I'd get home before eleven. He slept in to around eleven in the morning after the first time we met." Seto said; bring her hand up to his lips and kissing her hand gently. "Tonight was most enjoyable Ms. Ishtar and I hope that you found it to be the same."

Hailey laughed at his change of attitude and curtsied back to him. "I did find it to be rather enjoyable. The company was unbeatable as always. I hope that you return home safety and think about me until we meet again, fair Seto."

"Until that fateful day, dear lady." Seto bowed deeply and turned on his heel and got back into his car. With a wave, he drove off and into the night.

Sighing Hailey walked up to the large doors, and entered the warm front foyer. Ishizu walked out from the corridor leading to the kitchen, her tan skin flushed slightly.

"So—how was your night with the dashing Seto Kaiba?"

"Izz, I saw you run away from the curtain when we got home." Hailey said dryly, watching her sister give her one of the most shocked expressions she had ever seen.

"…"

"And to answer your question, we had a wonderful time. Seto's one of the sweetest guys I've ever met. He's a lot different from what they report in the news, or at least he is once he lets you in and you get to know him." Hailey said, walking up the marble stairs.

Ishizu stared at her sister and smiled softly. This was turning out better than expected.

**Well, I think I'm going to end that chapter here. I know this was short, but short is sometimes better. Besides, all I can think about at the moment is information from my driver's manual. I'm getting my license today and all I can think about is stupid road signs!! Well, wish me luck and I promise to have more soon. Read and REVIEW, please! Bye!**

**Mazakai**


	3. Chapter 3: Shadows of the Night

**The Yellow Rose**

**Chapter 3:** Shadows of the Night

A Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction and partial song Fanfiction

**By: **Mazakai

**Started: **June 7, 2007

**Completed: **July 22, 2007

**Folks: **This is the first part to the trilogy that I'm writing. Hailey Ishtar is the character that I made up for myself, so I, Mazakai am Hailey Ishtar and Seto Kaiba is mine!

**Disclaimer:** Okay I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I wish I did, but I don't so I have to live with it. I really don't know what's really going to happen in this story, so don't get mad at me. Remember, this is just for fun. And I don't own the song 'L-O-V-E' either.

Hailey swung her arms up and completed her arabesque. Preparing herself, she sprung into the air and did a full switch leap landing as gracefully as a cat.

She ran across the floor, swaying her hips as she did and did a layout into the splits. Rolling out of the splits into a fan kick, she stood and pulled backwards with her feet reaching out with her right arm to an invisible person. She twisted her upper body away from the front and hid her face and turned back to face the mirrors. Prepping again, she did a double attitude turn and finished with almost flamenco like arms and her feet in a slanted fourth position.

Popping her head she bolted into a sashay, turning her body to the side and leaping into a second position. Her long legs were nearly horizontal and parallel to the ground. She twirled around, her arms up around her head in a loose position. She landed in the same fourth position from earlier and repeated the whole combo from there with the chorus of the song she was dancing to by Pat Benatar called 'Shadows of the Night'.

Facing the mirror, Hailey planted her feet and belted it out with the singer on the CD. "We're running with the shadows of the night, so baby take my hand, it'll be alright. Surrender all your dreams to me tonight; they'll come true in the end."

The music faded away with the instrumental ending and Hailey repeated the dance from the arabesque. Finishing in the split towards the mirrors, her arm stretched out in front of her chest Hailey smiled brightly and breathed in deeply through her nose to calm her body down. The CD player had reached the end of the CD and shut off, silencing the studio once more; though only briefly. Clapping filled the room and Hailey looked over at her instructor, Miuzaki Chieko.

"Hailey, I believe that was probably your best choreographed pieces ever. Your senior piece is going to be the highlight of our spring concert." Miuzaki said.

Hailey smiled even more and stood up and thanked Miuzaki for her kind words. Miuzaki had been her teacher for the last three years that she had lived in Japan, but they acted like they had known each other since Hailey was a young child.

Grabbing her keys and small duffle bag, Hailey curtsied and ran out of the room with a quick goodbye. Dashing out off the studio, Hailey nearly ran over a tall young man standing near the door.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you—Seto!"

"Hey there, beautiful." Seto said, bending down and pecking her cheek. He had his Aviator's on so no one could really tell who he was.

"Hey yourself. What are you doing here? I thought that you had to prepare for the finals tonight?" Hailey asked looking into Seto's blue eyes through his Aviator's as he gave her a big hug.

"I wanted to see my good luck charm before I started working on my strategy."

"What, so I go from your girlfriend to your good luck charm? I don't think that's an even trade, Mr. Kaiba." Hailey said, pulling back and giving him a funny look.

"Well, how about I show you which one I value more." Seto said before swooping down and planting a firm passionate kiss on her lips, silencing any retort. Obviously he got his point across, because when he parted their kiss, Hailey's eyes were unfocused and her cheeks were flushed. (**A/N: Yes I know that Seto's totally out of character, but I don't care. Outside of this relationship, he's the icy turd that we all know and love. But give him a break he's in love and so if I want him to be the most romantic guy in the world, by George, I'm going to have him sweep poor little Hailey, who is me, off , my, her feet. Thank you.**)

"Wow—." Hailey breathed, leaning her head against his chest. "Okay, so you convinced me and I think the entire studio."

"Are you hungry after your practice? We could go out for a late lunch if you want." Seto asked, reaching down and grabbing her hand and her duffle bag.

"Sure, my car's out front. Truth be told, I am starving. Miuzaki had me run through my three other numbers for our recital in three weeks and my senior piece." Hailey explained.

"Is that what you where working on last?"

"Yeah, it's to 'Shadows of the Night', by Pat Benatar. I choreographed it myself." Hailey said, walking through the front door that Seto was holding open for her.

"You were beautiful. I could tell you had a passion for dancing, that it was like oxygen to you." Seto said, opening the driver side door for her and helping her into the small red convertible from the first night they'd met. He walked to the passenger side and slid into the leather seat.

"Thanks. Dancing is my passion. So where do you want to go to eat?" Hailey asked, putting the key in the ignition and turning the car on. Before Seto could answer, the senior piece music blared over the speakers. Turning the volume down, Hailey smiled goofily at Seto. "Oops, I forgot that I had been listening to that on the way here."

"It's fine. There's a new deli on Seikai Drive that I've heard is good. How about a sandwich?" Seto suggested.

Nodding her approval Hailey turned out of the studio's parking lot. Surprisingly the streets weren't very busy and they made it to Seikai Drive in record time. Seto got out of the car first and jogged to Hailey's side to open her door and help her out of the car.

Taking Seto's hand in her own, Hailey pulled herself out of the car. They walked up the deli and entered the cool little building. Seto finally took off his Aviators and an older man came running to the front of the store.

"Mr. Kaiba, what a pleasant surprise. Your secretary told us that you'd be checking in on progress after your tournament." the man said, bowing at the waist and ushering Seto and Hailey into the main dinning room.

"Hailey, I'd like to show you the newest out reach of Kaiba Corporation. 'The Silver Moon', is my marketing team's latest idea. Kaiba Corp. will sell some novelty items here and allow customers to catalog purchase anything else from our company that is available to the public. They'll also be allowed to order some of the best food in London for a bargain of a price." Seto explained pointing everything out with a wide sweeping gesture.

"This is really something Seto. You're really dreaming up new idea's everyday." Hailey said, walking around in a little circle.

"There's one more thing, though. The store is currently without a general manager. I was thinking that this might be the first assignment for my newest intern…" Seto purposely let his sentence hang, waiting for Hailey to place two and two together.

"Your new intern, wait a second—that's me!" Hailey exclaimed, spinning around to face Seto with a shocked look on her pretty face.

"Yes, that's you. I figured; why not trust my latest dream with the girl of my dreams?" Seto said, grabbing Hailey's hand.

She let herself be pulled to his side and then she latched her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Music filtered through the speakers and Hailey recognized it for Nat "King" Cole's 'L-O-V-E'. Suddenly Seto was leading her to the center of the room to a wide open space.

"May I have this dance, miss?" Seto asked, taking her hands in his. She merely nodded and allowed him to pull her closer to his chest.

'**L' is for the way you look at me**

'**O' is for the only one I see**

'**V' is very, very extraordinary**

'**E' is even more than anyone that you adore can**

Seto began to sing softly in her ear, swaying back and forth. Hailey's blue eyes looked up into his dark navy blue ones and she saw the truth in his eyes, even if he wouldn't say it out loud. He had really changed since she had first seen him.

**Love is all that I can give to you**

**Love is more than just a game for two**

**Two in love can make it**

**Take my heart and please don't break it**

**Love was made for me and you**

**(Instrumental Break)**

Seto spun her out and Hailey stretched her arm out to the side and spun back into his arms with her back against his chest. They swayed and took a few steps like that and then Seto spun her out and back into their original positions.

'**L' is for the way you look at me**

'**O' is for the only one I see**

'**V' is very, very extraordinary **

'**E' is even more than anyone that you adore can**

Seto dipped her to the right slightly and then placed his hands firmly to her sides and lifted her up and swirled around in a circle. Hailey braced her hands on his shoulder and laughed brightly, looking down into Seto's sky blue orbs.

**Love is all that I can give to you**

**Love is more than just a game for two**

**Two in love can make it**

**Take my heart and please don't break it**

**Love was made for me and you**

They moved in a wide circle, dancing a spirited swing style. He spun her around and she flowed beautifully with his moves.

**Love was made for me and you**

**Love was made for me and yo-u**

Seto surprised her and swung her into a low dip, her fingers nearly touching the floor. His strong arms supported her back and she let her left arm sweep out behind her.

The song faded and clapping irrupted from around the store. People had popped out of nowhere and watched the CEO and his lady friend swing their hearts out on the makeshift dance floor.

"You know, I think I just found something we could offer on Saturday nights. The place goes from restaurant to a lounge in a matter of seconds drawing in different age groups and people. What do you think about that pitch, boss?" Hailey asked looking up at Seto, who still held her in the dip position.

"You're the general manager, you decide. I'll okay anything you ask of me if it's within reason." Seto said, sweeping her upright, onto her own feet.

"Can you get me a sandwich?" Hailey asked humorously. Smiling, Seto nodded and they headed to what she suspected was the kitchen.

"Hey, Aerie can you get us two turkey sandwiches. One with cheese and whipped salad dressing and one with the works?" Seto asked aloud to the cook standing behind a work station.

Hailey smiled to herself. He had remembered how she liked her sandwiches. They had talked about that among other things on the first night they had met and to hear him remember the small details of their conversation warmed her to her toes.

"Right-o Mr. Kaiba." (**A/N: Don't ask.**)

Quickly Aerie went to work and five minutes later two sandwiches were placed before Seto and Hailey. Bowing his head in thanks, Seto grabbed both plates and head back out to the dinning area with Hailey at his heels.

He placed their plates on a secluded booth near the back of the restaurant. Hailey slid into the opposite side of the booth and watched Seto under her lashes. He was meticulous even when he was eating. He'd bite off a small section, chew and swallow before taking another bite; then he'd take a drink from the water the maître d' had placed on the table. Looking up from his sandwich, Seto smiled at her warmly. Smiling back, Hailey dug into her sandwich with added vigor, propelled by her dance workout of the afternoon.

BOOM!!!

The noise shook the entire building! Seto quickly grabbed Hailey and pulled her under the table onto the clean floor. Throwing his body on top of hers, which was in the duck and cover position, Seto held her close to his chest for protection.

Suddenly an eerie voice spoke from seemingly nowhere.

_**At midnight of the full moon, the prophecy will be fulfilled. The dragon will rise and the crown will be silent. Darkness will try to prevail, but Lupa will smite and return to light. The powers be given now so she may control the darkness…**_

A bright white light shone in the sky and collected together and disappeared briefly. Something beyond Hailey's control forced her away from Seto and under the safety of under the table into the middle of the room where they had just been dancing. Her head turned upward as if watching for something to fall from the ceiling and her eyes glowed unnaturally. The crystal necklace, which Seto hadn't noticed was there, began to shine a bright turquoise blue. It lifted clear off of Hailey's chest and hovered near her throat.

Everyone felt the air pulse and the bright light shot down from the sky through the top of the building and struck Hailey's necklace, enveloping the eighteen year old girl in a white cylinder of light. The other occupants in the room where blinded slightly and when the light dimmed a bit, they saw Hailey hovering near the ceiling, back arched, head thrown back, arms dangling to her sides, knees slightly bent. The necklace still hung unnaturally above Hailey's skin and glowed from the inside out.

Slowly Hailey began to slip back toward the ground, spinning lazily in a circle. Seto ran from the booth and stood under Hailey as she fell towards him. Her legs touched his arms and the rest of her body slid limply into his arms. Cradling her to his chest, Seto lowered both of them to the ground.

He shook her shoulders lightly, looking into her unconscious face. What had just happened and why had Hailey been singled out and the light chosen to hit her.

"Hailey, come on, you need to wake up! Wake up Hailey!" Seto whispered hurriedly, shaking her again. Her eyes fluttered once and opened, revealing a shocking change.

One of Hailey's eyes was her normal navy color, but the other one was silver. Seto watched the new color for a moment before looking Hailey in both eyes.

"Seto, are you okay? What happened? Why are we both on the ground?" Hailey asked, looking around at her surroundings.

Oh she knew what had happened alright and she knew why. She had only wished that it had happened later that day when she was at home with Ishizu. She felt the power coursing through her body as she lay on the floor in Seto's arms.

"I have no idea what happened. One minute we were eating the next you were being struck by some white light and floating above the ground about five feet in the air, unconscious. I caught you when you drifted back down." Seto said, smoothing her hair back away from her face. "There's something else Hailey; your eyes, they've changed darling. Your eyes have changed colors Hailey, one's silver and the other's still blue."

Those selfsame eyes widened with shock. She knew that something would change about her, but she had hoped that it was going to be internal. This was something everyone would notice, drawing unwanted questions.

Seto helped her to her feet and she clung to his shoulders; both for support and for security. He wrapped his arms around her waist and guided her back to their previously occupied table. He signaled to the waiter and asked for the food to be put in takeout boxes so they could eat it later.

Within five minutes they were back in Hailey's car, with Seto driving, headed towards the Ishtar's manor. Seto had called for one of his limo's to be there upon arrival so he could head home after making sure Hailey was settled and alright.

He watched her through the mirror as she sat silently in the leather seat. Her face was pale and her eyes, startling and beautiful were looking out the window, deep in the thought. Something was bothering her and it was worrying him to pieces. Usually she talked nonstop and her eyes sparkled with some internal fire. Now she was quiet and her eyes flashed with worry and unspoken questions.

Within five minutes they were pulling up the drive to her house and Ishizu was waiting for them at the front doors. She waited until Seto had turned the car off before running to the passenger side of the car and opening the door. Hailey looked up and Ishizu gasped at the sight of her eyes.

"Oh darling, come here." Ishizu cooed, opening her arms to her younger sister. Hailey tumbled out of the car and trough her arms around the older Ishtar's sister's neck. The two sunk to the ground, Hailey crying softly into Ishizu's neck while her sister rocked her back n' forth rubbing her back and whispering in Egyptian to her younger sister. After awhile, Hailey quieted down and Ishizu motion for Seto to come over.

"Help me get her inside to her room." Ishizu said as Seto bent down and scooped Hailey up into his arms. He followed Ishizu inside and through the manor.

The north wing he noted seemed to be Hailey's domain. Ishizu pointed out some of Hailey's various rooms and Seto took it all in. they went past her personal study and then Ishizu opened the door at the end of the hallway. Behind the door was a magnificent room. It looked like a faerie princess's room, adorned in rich gold's, silver's and midnight blues. A large circular bed lay in the center of the room, covered in midnight blue and silver sheets and comforters. Gold pillows looking like clouds covered the top half of the bed near the curved headboard. Chiffon hung from rungs on the ceiling and draped around the bed softly, creating an alluring illusion.

Ishizu walked to the bed and moved the chiffon out of the way for Seto to walk through with his sleeping beauty. He gently laid her down on the bed before sitting on the side to take her shoes off. Reverently he laid the shoes on the floor and kissed her brow lightly, feeling heat and dampness.

"Ms. Ishtar, I think your sister's got a fever." Seto said, looking back up Ishizu through the chiffon hangings.

Ishizu quickly maneuvered through the curtains and placed the back of her hand against Hailey's forehead. True enough, her skin was clammy and hot. Ishizu clucked her tongue and motioned for Seto to follow her out of the room.

"I'd like to ask you not to mention this to anyone else. What Hailey's going through right now is something that our family was destined to do centuries ago. Hailey's the chosen female of our family and she's going through a lot of changes at the time being. I have no idea if she's going to be able to make it to your tournament tonight; she might get very ill for a while if I don't break this fever soon." Ishizu whispered, moving closer to the door of the room, ushering Seto away from Hailey's bed.

Seto merely nodded his head, not taking his eyes off Hailey's limp, feverish body. What hadn't she told him about her life? Why hadn't she trusted him with this; he wouldn't have suggested taking in lunch had he known that this might have happened. But then he hadn't told her everything either, so he couldn't judge.

He pressed his fingers to his lips and held them out in Hailey's direction in a silent kiss. Turning on his heel, Seto left the room and quickly told Ishizu to contact him when Hailey's condition changed. Looking back once at Hailey's closed bedroom door, Seto left the Ishtar manor in a shroud of darkness and worry.

**Alright, it's Mazakai here****. I just finished the third chapter of **_**The Yellow Rose **_**and let me tell you it's a relief. I finished a lot of good things today. This and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows tear, tear oh well. Hope you liked and please read and review, cause we all love reviews!! Bye!!**

**Mazakai**


	4. Chapter 4: Lupa's Smiting

**The Yellow Rose**

**Chapter 4: **Lupa's Smiting

A Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction and partial song Fanfiction

**By: **Mazakai

**Started: **July 22, 2007

**Completed: **

**Folks: **This is the first part to the trilogy that I'm writing. Hailey Ishtar is the character that I made up for myself, so I, Mazakai am Hailey Ishtar and Seto Kaiba is mine!

**Disclaimer:** Okay I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I wish I did, but I don't so I have to live with it. I really don't know what's really going to happen in this story, so don't get mad at me. Remember, this is just for fun. The story of Lupa is mine, cause I created it, so it's mine.

Hailey tossed and turned in her bed, twisting the sheets around her weak, sweaty body. Her dreams were haunted by strange images of things that didn't make any since to her fever clouded brain. The power was trying to take over her body, to mold it to its will. The wolf was taking over.

She didn't know that Ishizu was watching her every move. There really wasn't everything that the older Ishtar sister could do for her younger sister. She couldn't take the power from her little sister and she was trying everything she knew to break the fever. For once in her life, she wished that the family was back in Egypt. Their nurse would have come up with an old remedy for Hailey's fever; something Ishizu had never quite mastered before they left the sands of Egypt.

Ishizu's thoughts were interrupted when Hailey moaned in her sleep. Ishizu could barely hear her, but it sounded like she was pleading for someone's life, Seto's life. Bending closer to her mouth, Ishizu heard her sister frantically murmuring in Egyptian, casting protective spells over the one closer to her heart than her family.

Both of the crystal necklaces that the sister wore pulsed at the use of the ancient magic that the family had been trusted to. Hailey's spells became more and more complex and powerful. She was scared to the point of casting the strongest spells on Seto, even if they were just dating.

Ishizu guessed that she was able to cast the stronger, more dangerous spells so easily was because the power of Lupa flowed through her body, strengthening the magic in their family's bloodline. The power would probably cease once the prophecy was fulfilled.

Slowly Ishizu rose from the bed and left Hailey in her room. There was nothing else she could do for her sister at the moment. She dimmed the lights in the room and left, closing the door silently behind her.

She turned from the door and came face to face with the one person she didn't want to see.

"Marik, what are you doing here? I would have thought you would have stayed far from here until tonight." Ishizu said coolly, looking up slightly at her younger brother.

"Izz, aren't you happy to see me? I mean how often do you get to see your younger brother?" Marik replied mockingly, sneering down at his older sister. "Now where have you hidden her? I know that it happened today; now WHERE IS SHE!!!!"

"Marik, do you honestly think that I would tell you were I've hidden Lupa. I care more about her safety than my ties to you as a brother when you're acting like a complete moron. Lupa was entrusted to me and I will make sure that you will never find her while you act like and complete arse!" Ishizu whispered harshly poking her brother in the chest to punctuate every point she was making.

"How dare you talk down to me, sister!!!? I will find Lupa if it takes me all night to find her. I know that Lupa chose Hailey as her host. There as so many places you could have hidden her and I'll look everywhere until I find my sister." Marik turned on his heel and left the house in a huff, his leather coat flying in an arc behind him.

Ishizu made sure that he was away from the house before pulling out her phone and calling Seto's secure cell phone. He answered on the first ring.

"Kaiba."

"Seto, this is Ishizu Ishtar. We need to move Hailey and we need to move her now."

"Ms. Ishtar what's going on? Is Hailey in danger or something? I thought she was still out cold from earlier." Seto asked, immediately turning away from the board of directors that he had been with in a meeting with.

"I can't tell you everything yet, but she's in more danger than you can imagine at the moment. I need to find her a safe place to stay and I thought that you might know somewhere she could stay." Ishizu said her fear creeping over the phone.

Seto swallowed hard and took some deep breaths. All he heard was Hailey was in danger and he shut down completely, focusing only on Hailey.

"I know the perfect place for her; I'll be right there."

He stood up without warning, knocking over the chair he had just been sitting in. His directors looked up and watched their CEO run out of the executive board room with a quick 'this meeting is adjourned'.

Seto tore into the Ishtar driveway, spewing gravel from under his Porsche's tires. He barely turned off the car before jumping out of the door. He didn't even take his glasses off. Ishizu was waiting for him again for the second time that day. She held a small duffle bag in front of her and a worried expression on her face.

"Come in quickly, and don't take your glasses off." Ishizu whispered sternly, ushering him into the front hall. She thrust the bag into his hands and led him into a secluded den.

"I've kept her in here since I talked to you." Ishizu said pushing the door open and revealing Hailey. "I warn you that she has gone through some changes since you left earlier today."

Seto walked over to the bed and looked down at Hailey's frail form. He couldn't believe his eyes. Hailey's hair had gone completely white and her skin had silver markings on it in strange symbols. "Are those in Egyptian? I've never seen anything like those before." Seto asked running his hands over the strange markings. Hailey's skin was cool, no longer hot and clammy from her fever.

"How did you know that this was in the ancient language? Not many people can even recognize it." Ishizu looked down at Seto. He was full of surprises.

"I've seen it this somewhere before. I don't even know if I've seen it in reality." Seto said, his voice going a bit distant. He shook his head and looked back up at Ishizu and seemed to fall out of a trance.

"I want to take her to my house. I have some of the highest security in the country. Hailey will be safe with me." Seto said standing up and straightening his jacket.

"Seto, that's not the only things that changed about Hailey. She hasn't been herself since you left earlier and she fell unconscious again. If she wakes up again she won't answer to Hailey; when she was struck with the beam of light as you said, something took over, something more powerful and dangerous than you can imagine." Ishizu said, looking down at her younger sister. "The young woman you see before is Lupa, the white wolf of Egypt. The power that runs through Hailey is an ancient entity. The story of Lupa is one that all children learn as younglings in Egypt. Lupa was a beautiful woman who was the belle of Clare. They say that her skin was fair and her hair as dark as midnight. Her eyes were like chips of blue ice and her heart as wide as the sea. She could enchant anything and everything with her voice like a songbird. And one day she was walking through the woods when she came upon a black wolf that was injured. She took the wolf back to her cottage and cared for his injuries. After five days the wolf revealed its great secret; it was a man. Through her kind actions, the wolf realized that Lupa was the perfect match for him and he transformed during the night. He went to Lupa's side of the bed and woke her, revealing his great secret. Lupa looked into his golden eyes and feel deeply in love with him. They lived together as man and wife for five years in secret. After those five years, the evil sorceress and the wolf's mother came and told her son if he did not leave Lupa, she would kill her. The wolf made a deal with his mother, he would sacrifice himself in order to save his love Lupa. Lupa found out about his plan and pleaded with him to reconsider. The wolf would not change his mind and Lupa watched as the wolf's mother kill his own son. Lupa watched and felt rage boiling within her. The rage became something stronger and Lupa changed. She became a wolf like her husband; the white wolf of rage and revenge. She hunted the evil sorceress and finally killed her in revenge for herself and her dead husband. Lupa found her solace and lived her life in the woods along with the wolves for the rest of her life. She has waited until now to finish the rest of her husband's evil bloodline."

Seto sighed through his nose and smoothed his hand over Hailey's newly colored hair. Hailey stirred in her sleep and he slung her bag over his shoulder.

"I'll take care of her, whoever on earth is in control of her body. This is Hailey no matter what and she takes the top priority in my book." Seto said, scooping Hailey up in his arms. She was light and Seto felt her nails sink into his arm and chest. '_Great, she's got claws._'

Seto let Ishizu cover Hailey with a black cloak looking thing and let Seto stalk out of the house. He kept his head down and slid her into the passenger seat of the Porsche. He would make sure that Hailey would stay safe until Ishizu told him the danger was over.

They pulled into his secret entrance to the Kaiba Mansion and quickly parked in the underground garage. Seto unbuckled Hailey's seat belt and ran to her side of the car. He scooped her out of the car and grabbed her bag before getting into the elevator that took them to hidden entrance in his office.

Mokuba met them in Seto's office and he watched his older brother with concern. He had never seen his brother act so different with another person outside of their family; it was hopeful. Though the girl in his arms looked like she had been through better times.

"Seto, what happened to her?" Mokuba asked holding the door of the study for his older brother.

"I don't even understand myself. Her sister told me the story of Lupa, the white wolf of Egypt, and I think that it had something to do with what's happening. But this is Hailey, the girl I've been telling you about." Seto said quietly, moving to the guest room that was near his own downstairs second room. Both rooms were windowless and locked automatically from the outside and unlocking only from the inside and the master code that only Seto knew.

"We'll be keeping her here until Ishizu tells me that it's safe. I'll be taking care of her and we'll take turns during the finals tonight." Seto told Mokuba as he laid Hailey on the clean white satin sheets of the bed.

He removed the black cloak and Hailey's waist length snowy white hair streamed out over the pillow. He couldn't help but run his fingers through her hair. She was exotic even as this changed ancient entity.

"Big brother, I thought you said that Hailey was brown hair; why does she have white hair now and those strange silver markings all over her body?" Mokuba asked looking down at Hailey with his older brother.

"She usually does, this just happened today. But it doesn't matter what happened, she's still Hailey on the inside." Seto told Mokuba, straightening up and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, I'm going to have this room monitored 24/7 and we'll find some way to take her with us to the finals."

Mokuba nodded his head eagerly and followed his older brother out the secure quest bedroom. Something was scaring his older brother and it was scaring him more than anything had in a long time. His older brother didn't know this either, but he knew the story of Lupa and he was slowly piecing the pieces together.

"When do we need to leave for the finals big brother?" Mokuba asked running to his brother's side.

Seto looked down at his little brother and smirked. "Whenever we get there the finals start. No one tells the Kaiba brother's what and where to go."

"RIGHT!!" Mokuba cheered, pumping his fist in the air.

Seto stalked down the hallway with Mokuba at his heels; the brother's ready to do war with whatever was waiting for them at the finals.

Hailey tossed and turned in the unfamiliar bed that she didn't know she was in. Lupa was nearly in full control. She was semi-conscious and could see the dim room she was confined in.

Hailey was nearly exhausted from fighting off Lupa's force, but the wolf was winning the war in her mind. Her ears had painfully tapered into points and her nails on both her hands and feet had become sharp claws. She hoped that Seto wasn't anywhere near her for the fear that he would see her like this and find her repulsing. Little did she know that Seto was watching her every move, reveling in her strange beauty.

Suddenly something cracked inside her mind and Lupa surged forward taking over Hailey's mind completely. Hailey's eyes began to glow a silvery white. Her long white hair billowed around her head in a cloud of silk. Hailey's street clothes changed into a long elegant white silk gown; the sleeve's cuffs stretching down to the ground and the train trailing out a few feet behind her.

Lupa's diadem crowned her forehead, the silver crown tucking into her hair and the sapphires and diamonds winking in the dim light. Lupa raised her hand and the black cloak rose from the bedside table and fastened itself under her slim neck. A pair of elegant sandals appeared on her slim feet, the soft leather warming her feet.

She walked towards the door and lifted her hand and the door clicked open. She almost floated out of the room, the dress hiding her stride. A man in black appeared and he tried to stop her from leaving the room.

"Ma'am you need to stay in that room. Master Seto had commanded that you stay in that room until he comes to get you." The man said laying his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to turn back into the room.

Lupa turned her head and glared icily at the man. The stone at her neck pulsed and the man flew backwards against a wall, knocked unconscious.

"Foolish man, did you think you could tell Lupa what to do. No one tells Lupa what to do. Only Lupa tells Lupa what to do." She said, her slightly more sultry sounding voice purring with contempt.

She stalked out of the hallway and to the entrance hall of the mansion. She raised both of her arms and murmured an Egyptian spell. With a flash of bright light she disappeared.

The stadium that Seto had built for the finals for his tournament was at the edge of the city. The high walls stretched one hundred yards in the night sky. The lights illuminated the dark sky for a mile around. All in all it was a stadium for champions. Seto had seen to that.

Lupa looked up at the entrance and felt the evil power coming from her target. It was finally going to end tonight. She had gone through many hosts to get to this point and finally she was going to be reunited with the black wolf.

She pulled the hood of the black cloak over her head and walked through the shadows into the large arena. Everyone was there and waiting for the champion to be announced; every one of her targets were gathered in one place making the hunt easier for the wolf.

She crept in the shadows, power pulsating from the necklace and through her body. She could hear them now; she was getting closer and closer. Then she heard a voice she wasn't expecting to hear. It was _his _voice. Her heart sped up and her mind raced. Her powerful stride turned into a full force sprint until she got the opening of one of the gates. There it was again. Was someone playing tricks with her mind?

Her sharp eyes scanned the arena for the man of her dreams and her ears finally found his voice. It was the young man standing at the center of the stage in the middle of the arena. His hair was a rich chocolate color and it hung to his eyes in sensuous layers. His black pants and shirt were accented by an oddly cut sleeveless white trench coat. He was tall over six feet tall and well built but not stocky. His eyes were like chips of midnight blue ice. He was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen and she had seen a fair amount of men in her life. He was no black wolf, but he was right up there with him. She could see why her host was attracted to the male.

He was making a show about the start of the finals or something like that. Her silvery white eyes scanned the crowd and she recognized people from her host's memory. The other blonde who broke her heart; the ebony haired man who was part of the heart break problem; the blonde bombshell that was the main factor; the brunette dancer who was the best friend; the short multi-colored hair leader; the first blonde's redheaded sister; the spiky haired guy; and then she saw her target.

He was already showing signs of the other's presence. His white blonde hair sticking out on its own accord; his eyes darkening and his voice going deeper than usual; an almost replica of the black wolf's older brother. She wasn't going to harm his host; this was merely a purifying mission. She wasn't turning down force by any means; she was just going to try hard not to harm the young man who the evil spirit inhabited. The two hosts were twins and Lupa had more of a sense of family than others would give her credit for.

But it still didn't explain why the man in the brown leather coat sounded like her black wolf; her husband. Had he come back to see her on the last cleansing or was she just anxious to see her beloved again after all these long, long years.

Looking back down at the crowd she saw the woman who had been charged to care for her while she possessed this young girl. She was to one who had sent her to the strange house without her consent. That could be overlooked if it were for a good reason, which it probably was considering how smart the girl thought her older sister was. The target probably had been looking for her and the older sister had sent her to a safe place for her own protection; yes that made sense to both Lupa and the girl. Ishizu, that was her name, would have taken every precaution in the moving of Lupa and only done it in case of emergency.

'_She should be rewarded for her intuition_.' Lupa thought moving like a shadow through the crowd of spectators. No one noticed her moving between them and she made it down to the field in less than five minutes. Ishizu and her target must have felt her presence enter the bottom level of the arena because Ishizu jumped and looked around with a worried expression on her face and her target shuddered and smirked as he looked around.

Lupa faced the stage and watch the handsome young man throw his hands out and there was a loud cheer. A younger boy ran to the handsome mans side and whispered something to him in a hurried whisper. The older man looked up with pure fear in his face and looked around for someone. He didn't find them. He pulled a cell phone out and called someone. She saw Ishizu jump and pull out her own phone. Ishizu pulled away from the crowd and talked in a hushed whisper. She shook her head and quickly hung up the phone, two lone tears tracing down her cheeks. What had happened?

Seto had just gotten the most horrible news he could think of. One of his guards had called him and told him that Hailey wasn't at the mansion any longer. A strange woman had over powered the guard outside of the guest room and knocked him out and when he came to, Hailey was gone. He called Ishizu and asked if she knew where she might have gone, but the older Ishtar sister had no idea where she might be. Lupa might have finally taken control or in the worse case, Marik could have found her and taken her prisoner. Ishizu was praying that it was the first option.

He had to get to Hailey; he somehow had to find her. But he was dealing with powers unlike anything he had ever dealt with. None of the pain his stepfather had put him through compared to the pain he was feeling right now. This couldn't be happening; how had a girl like Hailey gotten dragged into such a mess like this, she didn't deserve any of it.

He was so entrapped in his thoughts that he didn't see the person until he rammed right into them, causing them both to fall to the hard ground. Seto jumped to his feet and looked down at the confused person. It was a woman obviously and his manners kicked in automatically.

"I am so sorry, ma'am. I wasn't looking at where I was going and I'm sorry that I barged into you like that. Let me help you up." Seto said hurriedly, holding his hand out to the woman on the floor.

She reached out a gloved hand and clasp Seto's in her own surprisingly strong grip. Seto pulled her up and picked up the bag she had dropped when they collided.

"Here's your bag ma'am. And once again, I am so sorry for running into you like that." Seto said, bowing slightly to the woman before continuing down the hall.

"You will not find her that way."

Seto turned and looked at the woman. She was covered in an olive colored cloak with the hood pulled over her head covering her identity. A lock of loosely curled hair was draped over her left shoulder and poked out of the front of the hood opening. Her gnarled hand reached inside the bag and drew out a strangely familiar looking crystal pendant.

"What are you talking about? How did you know that I was looking for someone?" Seto asked looking at the lady with uncertain and questioning eyes.

She motioned for him to come closer and his feet unwillingly obeyed. She turned and faced him and looked at him through old and tired gray-blue eyes; the same eyes that Hailey possessed.

"There is a very important young woman here tonight with a very important mission. You must not stop her there, but take warning after it is finished you will be a key player in getting her back. She will need all the support she can get because the battle of souls is a powerful and daunting one. She cannot do it alone." The woman grabbed Seto's wrist and forced his fingers open. She placed the pendant in Seto's hand and closed his fingers around the object. "This will help you find her. Go now child and help the chosen one."

Seto bowed his head and sighed. When he looked up again a second later, the woman was gone. He opened his hand and looked down at the necklace. The cord was some sort of brown wool or so it seemed; it was soft and flexible between his fingers. Gently he slid the cord over his head and straightened it around his neck. The pendant hung down to about the middle of his chest.

Not knowing what to do next, Seto closed his eyes and thought about Hailey. A clear picture formed in his head of the changed Hailey with her snowy white hair billowing around her head in the wind, her figure outlined by the black night sky. A silky white gown covered her body and the black cloak from earlier was fastened at her throat. Then suddenly the vision ended.

Seto felt the crystal heat up and pull somehow to his left. Giving into the pull, desperate to find Hailey, Seto turned down the left hallway. The stone gave him different directions as he wandered through the stadium. Finally, when he thought that it was about to burn a hole through his clothing, the stone pulsed and its tip pointed up the staircase Seto was standing in front of on the north side of the building. His feet flew up the stairs beneath his feet and finally he reached the top. The door to the roof was slightly ajar.

He tentatively walked to the door and pushed the heavy metal door open enough for him to slide through. There she was. Her snow white hair stood in contrast to the darkening night sky. The graceful form of her lithe body outlined in a white silk gown. She was breathtaking even in this oh so dangerous form; the very definition of allure.

Thankfully she hadn't heard the door open, and Seto crept behind one of the vents and watched the beautifully dangerous woman.

Lightning flashed and the wind picked up, blowing her hair around her face and her dress and cloak to stream out behind her in a royal elegance. The stone pulsed again and Seto felt a shock go through his body. His whole body pulsed and then there was a lull. Then extreme pain. He fought to keep from screaming bloody murder. His body fell to the rooftop and he withered on the floor as wave after wave of pain rolled over his body. What on earth was happening to him?! Suddenly he felt something literally push at his mind, however odd that might seem. His will cracked and whatever was trying to win, won and Seto passed out, letting the mysterious force take control of his lifeless body.

**Okay, so it looks like I'm gonna end this chapter here, ha-ha. I have so many different ideas running through my head and almost all of them after for chapter that haven't even happened yet, ha-ha. Oh well, that's a good thing I guess. I hoped you liked this latest installment of '**_**The Yellow Rose**_**' and I hope you review too!!!! Chao!**

**Mazakai **


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